This Didn’t Have To Be Her Story: If Only She’d Known
She has two boys under 3 and is exhausted! But it’s not why you think.
Yes, she’s running after two active and busy little munchkins all day long. Yes, she’s still breastfeeding her youngest and waking up to him in the night.
She’s running a household, fitting in play dates, doing the shopping, cooking, cleaning... she has every reason to be tired.
But totally exhausted? No.
Completely burnt out? No.
So what’s going on here?
She’s suffering from postnatal nutritional depletion.
After two pregnancies, two births, two breastfed babies she’s got nothing left. Literally. Her pregnancy journey - growing and nurturing two new lives; has left her body lacking and super low (depleted) in many (if not most) essential nutrients.
She’s literally got nothing left to give.
She gave it all to her babies.
Both during her pregnancies and while breastfeeding, her babies took from her body everything they needed to grow and develop. They stole the nutrients, vitamins and minerals they needed to thrive. Emptied their mama’s body stores.
And left their mama running on empty.
Oh mama! I feel for you.
I see how much she’s struggling to hold it all together. To be the best mama for her little ones. But it’s really hard!
How did she end up here?
Postnatal depletion sadly affects over 50% of new mothers — sometimes within the first three months of baby’s arrival. Sometimes years later (like in my friends’ case).
How do we change this story to one where mamas are thriving, feeling vital, healthy and well?
Would you believe it starts way back when she first began thinking about starting a family?
I have no doubt she was healthy and eating well when she conceived. And she did her best to get enough of the right nutrients in her pregnancy diet. And ate a relatively healthy diet after giving birth.
I’m sure she felt as though she was looking after herself, taking a prenatal vitamin and eating healthily. Avoiding soft cheese and sushi. Following all the modern-day, conventional pregnancy advice.
But looking back, there’s so much more she could have done to nourish herself during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Eating healthily is one thing.
Eating a nutrient-dense, whole and real food diet loaded with the key nutrients essential for supporting her health and wellbeing as well as the optimal growth and development of her baby is something else.
Taking an over-the-counter prenatal vitamin that’s loaded with synthetic ingredients and fillers is one thing.
Taking quality, food-state supplements that are TGA approved and deliver the recommended amounts of the essential nutrients mama needs to ensure there are enough vitamins and minerals for both her and her baby is something else.
If only she’d known.
She’s now working with an amazing holistic health professional to get her health back. And she’s on the mend (yay).
I wish she’d known about 40 Weeks and received the support of our online pregnancy nutrition program. Together we could’ve changed her story. Together we could’ve set her future self up to thrive and feel good during pregnancy, labour and birth, postpartum and beyond.
So that she could be running around with her kids, feeling buoyant and alive and vibrant right now. Really able to dig into all the joys (and challenges) of parenthood.
40 Weeks is here for you.
And I’m on a mission to rewrite stories like hers. To support as many women as possible to experience the pregnancy journey they dream of and deserve.
So even if you’re feeling good right now, ask yourself if there is more you could be doing to support your health and wellbeing? To nourish yourself? To set yourself up to thrive?
If you’d like to chat and know what “more” you could be doing to experience the best pregnancy journey possible, email bianka@40weeks.com.au or start by grabbing a copy of our FREE e-book (below).
And if you’d like to feel completely supported and set yourself up to thrive, join The 40 Weeks Program — an online pregnancy nutrition program that offers the expert advice you can trust and the personalised support you’re craving.